Geek Therapeutics

Music is an essential part of geek culture. For many inspired by geek culture, the soundtracks to their favorite movies, television shows, and video games have also served as the soundtracks to their lives. What fan of The Lord of the Rings hasn't idly hummed Howard Shore's "The Shire" while washing the dishes? Music can also provide fuel for the creation of geek content, such as in the form of playlists created to accompany tabletop roleplaying games or story writing. Because of its influence and flexibility, it is uniquely suited to be used as a therapeutic tool and can be adapted to address virtually any goal. As a board-certified music therapist, Alexa Konowal has created music interventions inspired by geek culture to engage children and adults with various diagnoses and needs. In this presentation, she will provide an overview of the music therapy profession, describe and illustrate the ways music therapists provide services and incorporate geek content into their interventions, and offer examples of geek culture-informed music activities that can be used by professionals outside of music therapy.